Steelers New Massive DT Keeanu Benton Shares A Special Relationship With 1 Of His New Teammates

The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to address positional needs during the 2023 NFL Draft. With the 49th overall pick, the team selected Keeanu Benton, a defensive tackle from the University of Wisconsin. Benton was integral in the run-stopping ability of the Badgers during his four seasons and enjoyed his most productive campaign in 2022, totaling four and a half sacks to go along with 10 tackles for loss. While Benton would have been happy to play for any team that drafted him, he is most likely over the moon excited to join the Steelers and reunite with his former college teammate, Isaiahh Loudermilk. 

The Steelers showed heavy interest in Benton through the entire draft process, hosting him for an official Top-30 visit in early April. He will enter the 2023 season as the odds-on favorite to start at nose tackle but will have to earn this spot from the likes of Breiden Fehoko and Montravius Adams, among others. Another player he will be competing for snaps with will be Loudermilk. While the two may be battling it out on the field, they will be thrilled to have the opportunity to be teammates once again. 

In an article by The Draft Network written by Justin Melo, Benton discussed his experiences at the 2023 Senior Bowl as well as various other topics regarding his opportunity to play in the NFL. One of the questions asked was which player in the NFL he is most looking forward to eventually swapping jerseys with once he made it to the league. 

"Isaiahh Loudermilk immediately comes to mind, especially if we're not on the same team. He's playing defensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers nowadays. He's one of the guys that helped me transform myself and take the next step as a player at Wisconsin," Benton answered. 

Funny enough, the jersey swap with Loudermilk will not be necessary as the duo will be playing together once again, this time in the city of Pittsburgh. During their two seasons together in Madison, Loudermilk became a mentor of sorts for the young Benton, encouraging and helping him figure out exactly what he wanted to achieve as a football player. Benton had this to say in regard to the type of influence Loudermilk had on him during their time in Wisconsin together. 

"My confidence wasn't as high as when I was a younger player. Loudermilk set time aside and took extra hours from the program to help me understand the playbook and role. He helped me figure out the 'why' behind everything. He didn't have to do that for me, but he did," Benton said. 

Life Comes Full Circle For The Newest Member Of The Steelers

Needless to say, it is hard to envision a scenario in which Benton improves his level of play enough to be worthy of being drafted in the second-round without the guidance of Loudermilk. Now that the two are reunited, it will be refreshing for Benton to already know someone in the defensive line room. He will have every opportunity to be a meaningful contributor to the Steelers' defense next season.